House Panel Rejects Bush's Privilege ClaimA House Judiciary committee panel has taken a first formal step toward citing former White House counsel and one-time Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers for contempt after she ignored the panel's subpoena. President Bush asked Miers not to attend the hearing, claiming executive privilege.

A House Judiciary subcommittee held a hearing today, despite the fact that its sole witness decided not to attend. The panel had subpoenaed former White House Counsel Harriet Miers to ask her about the firings of several federal prosecutors last year.

President Bush asked Miers not to attend the hearing. Committee chairman John Conyers was already aggravated that Miers was not planning to answer questions, based on the president's claim of executive privilege.